Are you a broker or Registered Investment Advisor?

• Brokers have a lower legal standard of care (suitability standard) than an RIA (fiduciary standard).​​​​

Which legal standard are you subject to? A suitability standard or fiduciary standard?

• A fiduciary standard is the highest standard in the industry.

Is your firm a large, publicly-trade company or an independent firm?

• There are numerous, potential conflicts of interest with large, publicly-traded company's.​

Do you ever recommend proprietary products?

• These products are usually more profitable for the company.​

How are you compensated? Commissions, fees, or both?

• Commissions are an incentive for an advisor to buy & sell financial products.​

What credentials do you hold?

• Designations, etc.​

How long have you been in the business?

• It takes several years to transition from the academic world to the real world.

Have there ever been or are there currently any complaints against you?

• Multiple complaints is a red flag.​

Are you subject to any production requirements?

• These are imposed by management and are more common in large firms.​

How many clients do you serve?

• There is a limit to the number of clients an advisor can effectively serve before service suffers.​